The Loyalist Period

Loyalists Arrive in the Caicos Islands 1780’s and 1790’s

Following the Bermudan’s settling in the Islands the next large introduction of slaves followed the American War of Independence.

Following the war the Loyalists were required to take an oath of allegiance. Many refused which led to their land and property, including slaves, being confiscated and sold. For the Loyalists there was no future in Georgia so many moved to Florida, which was still under British rule. Unfortunately for them the British ceded Florida to the Spanish and once again the Loyalists were forced to move – this time to the West Indies.

Fleeing Loyalists were granted land in British held territory, some of whom moved to the Caicos Islands in the 1780s and 1790s. With the Loyalists came plantation life, and a key element to a successful plantation system at this time was slaves. There were two types of slaves: African (those from Africa) and Creole (native born Blacks). Some estimate that the ratio was as high as 80% Creole to 20% Black.

As Saunders states (1985), the majority of the loyalist slaves were born in the USA, lived in a society of almost equal sex ratio which allowed a well developed family life to exist, and worked on small holdings rather than on extensive plantations. There is little reason to believe that the slave dwellings on Loyalists plantations in the Turks and Caicos Islands developed any different to those in the Bahamas. There they consisted of unplastered stone with a palm thatch roof – in fact when we look at some of the structures on Middle Caicos they fit this description.

John Wilson, in his 1783 survey of the Bahamas to assess the Islands for suitability for the transfer of some of the Loyalists from Florida (Kozy p.66), did not record the Caicos Islands at all which suggests there were no occupants. In Wylly’s “Short Account of the Bahamas” of 1789 he estimated that prior to the arrival of the Loyalists there were only one white male head of a family and 5 slaves in the Caicos Islands. This suggests that the Caicos Islands had little attraction before the Loyalists were granted land there.

In the Caicos Islands 92 grants were made to 72 people, totaling 18,138 acres, or on average 197 acres per plantation (Kozy, p 84). It is unlikely all took up their grants, especially as anything smaller than 60 acres would not have been sustainable under a plantation system (Kozy, p106). It is estimated that by 1788, 40 families with around 1200 slaves had settled in the Caicos Islands. These family names: Basden, Ferguson, Gamble, Lorimer, McIntosh, Missick, Penn, Rigby and Stubbs, still survive today.

Mckinnen, a traveler in the Bahamas in around 1803 recorded that he had found “one planter owning 600 slaves” in the Caicos Islands (Kozy, p 168). However, this was not clearly all of the planters that were there, just the largest slave owner (was it Wade Stubbs?).

So who were the Loyalists and what evidence remains of their presence today? The Loyalists included John Bell, a man of independent means, who was granted over 1000 acres on Grand Caicos, developing the two plantations “Increase” and “Industry” . He brought 180 slaves with him. In his estate appraisal at his death in 1800 it recorded 90 slaves (Kozy, p116, and p163 which lists the slaves and their family connections) on a plantation of 1 470 acres, of which 300 were under cotton production (Kozy, p160). In one of his inventories it records “thirteen large stone houses for negroes” (Kozy p147). There was also Stephen De Lancey who was granted 900 acres, “Greenwich Plantation” , and an appraisal made in 1800 recorded 18 slaves, listed by name (Kozy, p136) and a cotton gin, as well as household items. However, the best data relates to the Cheshire Hall, Wade’s Green and Haulover Plantations.

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The Colors of the Turks and Caicos Islands

RED was chosen to represent the nation’s capital, Grand Turk. The color is taken from the red/pink fruit found on the national plant, the Turks Head Cactus. They were once found in abundance on Grand Turk before they were removed to accommodate the salt ponds.

WHITE was chosen to represent Salt Cay. The color came from salt. The salt industry was largely responsible for populating the islands of Salt Cay, Grand Turk and South Caicos.

ORANGE was chosen to represent South and East Caicos. The color comes from the Spiny Lobster and fish and reflects the fishing industry in the “Big South.”

TAN was chosen to represent Middle Caicos. The color is taken from the raw material (thatch) that once covered the roofs of the houses. It is also used to make straw hats, baskets and brooms. Middle Caicos is known for the superior quality of native craftwork.

GREEN was chosen to represent North Caicos and Parrot Cay. The color is taken from the fruit trees and other types of trees that flourish in the most fertile of all the islands. North Caicos is also home of Wade’s Green Plantation, the most successful of Caicos Islands cotton plantations.

TURQUOISEwas chosen to represent the islands of Providenciales, Pine Cay and West Caicos. The color is taken from the beautiful turquoise waters that surround these islands on which our famous Caicos fishing sloops sail. These turquoise waters also contribute to our newest industry, tourism.

PINK was chosen to represent the beautiful conch shell, flamingoes and the numerous uninhabited cays that make up our chain of islands.

YELLOW represents God’s glory as the sun shining down on all our beautiful islands and cays. The sun also contributes to our newest industry, tourism.

View a timeline of important events and dates in the history of the islands

A Few Artifacts You’ll See at the Museum

Our collections represent the rich historical, cultural and natural heritage of the Turks and Caicos Islands and its people.

Lucayan Duho

Photo courtesy of Joanna Ostapkowicz. The Duho is one of the rarest artifacts in the museum’s collections. It was used a ceremonial seat for the cacique or chief of the Lucayans, the first inhabitants of these islands.

Fresnel Lens

The Grand Turk Lighthouse was erected in 1852 and was originally designed to burn whale oil and had an Argand reflector lamp. In 1943 the lighthouse was converted to a Fresnel Lens one of these lenses is now on display at the Museum.

Swivel Gun

The Molasses reef wreck, an early Spanish Caravel was equipped with three types of breech-loading swivel guns, one type is shown above. The swivel guns are thought to be anti-personnel weapons placed wherever convenient along the ship’s rail.

Salt Industry Post Card

The museum has diverse collection of early postcards of the Turks and Caicos Islands. Most post cards depict scenes on Grand Turk, the capital and from the salt industry.

Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

H.E. Dr. John Freeman

“The National Museum is a TCI national treasure, which has grown from a quiet private initiative into a national resource and repository. It has gradually accumulated objects and papers of inestimable value to the collective sense of belonging in these Islands.

It now serves as a living expression of a collective memory; and without a collective memory there can be no sense of collective identity. The National Museum should be dear to the hearts of all those who live on these Islands.

I am struck deeply by the valuable holdings; not just of wonderful artefacts, but also of the tremendously evocative paper holdings, the records of births and deaths, the evidence of continuities in the Islands' population – who they were and who they are now. Visiting the museum, one gets a real sense of how life in these Islands were lived.

The TCI lives in all its cultural and historical richness through the National Museum. It is the responsibility of all of us to ensure that it remains such an important part of TCI’s heritage and I encourage all readers to visit and support it.”
Dr. John Freeman H.E.
Governor of the Turks & Caicos Islands

Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands

Hon Sharlene Cartwright Robinson

"As a proud Turks and Caicos Islander and a holder of a degree in history, I have always taken a very keen interest in history generally and then in the history, heritage and culture of these wonderful Turks & Caicos Islands.

From my humble beginnings growing up in the fishing capital, South Caicos, and the real capital, Grand Turk, to becoming the first female Premier of the Turks & Caicos Islands, history has played a big part in my life.

The Turks & Caicos National Museum is a veritable goldmine of information on the history of these islands; spanning over a thousand years, from the Pre-Columbian Indians, to the space age and everything else in between.

I welcome you to the TCN Museum website, and should you be fortunate enough to visit Grand Turk, I encourage you to visit this marvelous national repository, and immerse yourself in the surprisingly deep and rich history of these beautiful by nature Turks & Caicos Islands".

President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

Dr. Hubert A. Fulford

"My interest in history and research goes back to my years as a student at the then Grand Turk Secondary School, where my teacher and later mentor, the late Helena Jones Robinson instilled a curiosity in me to appreciate context. At that time, not fully appreciating the impact that curiosity would have on me, I sought only to please my teacher.

Pursuing tertiary education at various institutions, in various countries and at various levels, my initial foundation of inquiry was further stimulated. Libraries and museums would form a very important part of my education, specifically during my studies in Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Returning home after my studies abroad, my first visit to the Museum so captivated me that I began to tell all persons, visitors and islanders alike, that a visit to the museum was a MUST! The quaintness, yet thorough organization and presentation of artifacts of various kinds avowed me.

I found tremendous joy in taking my TCI Studies students to the Museum, standing back and listening to their expressions of excitement and curiosity as the curators and assistants would walk them through the various displays and presentations.

The Jamaican expression “likkle but tallawah” (small but strong) aptly fits our Museum. The significance of this institution to our history and culture cannot be over stressed.

Welcome to The Museum. A combination of history, culture and enchantment awaits you."
Dr. Hubert A. Fulford
President of Turks and Caicos Islands Community College

Historic Photo Galleryof the Turks and Caicos Islands

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